Tower anchorage



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TOWER ANCHORAGE Filed NOV. 19, 1926 2 ShetS-Sheet l l l I l fibtozmu 5 v gmmow oct. 7., 1930. R W LU|PPOLD ET' Al. 1,777,469

TOWER ANCHORAGE Filed Nov. 19. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct. 7, i936 UNITED STATES PATENTE OFFICE v fRoBEitT W.` LUIPPOLD AND WILLIAM T. srimnow, or HAMPTON, VIRGINTA Application led November 19, 1926. Serial No. 149,478.

on secure `toot'ings to resist any tendency of the tower toward displacement. Likewise considerable overturning forces are set up by the torce of lthe wind, unbalanced line pulls and similar lateral forces,I which must also be taken up by the ootings in order to prevent any movement `of the tower leg and consequent tower distortion or deflection. Where such towers are built on-gro'und ot' rocky or unyielding character, the anchorages u are simple in" construction and light in weight;

but where the ground is oi' a granular nature, such as sand, it is necessary to distribute the thrusts resulting Jfrom the above loads over considerable areas and to dispose the anchoring members so as to assure a suiticient weight ot superimposed earth to resist the upliftorces. n Furthermore, the locationof the towers. 1s often removed from transportation facilities and may be comparatively inaccessible. This requires an anchorage which is light in.

weight, compactand capableof ready assembly and installation with a minimum otlabor and equipment. The design of anchorage must likewise be such as to, be readily variable in .dimensions and proportions of the parts, in order to meet the widely varying conditions of load with the most eiiicient and economical distribution of material, and at the same time it is desirable to employ materials in a form which is readily available commercially in all required sizes and weights. A Y y y Y Various types of anchorages have heretofore been used for this purpose, including principally, interconnected grillage elements such as angle irons, Z-bars, I-beams and the like. These anchorages are unsatisfactory 1n practice, particularly where thesoil is light, for many reasons. Their Surface area 1s small and an excessive amount and weight of material is required in order to obtain suicient bearing surfaces. Moreover, the designof such anchorages is such that an eilicient distribution of material is impossible and the available commercial sizes and weights of the elements are limited so asto result frequently in uneconomical use of material.

One of the objects of the presentV invention is to provide a novel form of anchorage which will provide a largeqsuriace area with the minimum amount of material. Y

Another object is to provide an anchorage in which the dimensions and proportions are readily variable to suit particular conditions in order to promote economy through the use of the minimumsize and weight of anchorage permissible.

A further object is to employ materials in a form readily available commercially in all required, sizes and weights. b

A still further object is to provide a novel form of anchorage which will minimize the cost oflabor of transportation, assembly and installation. t

Other objects will appear more fully hereinatter. A

Vith the above objects in view, the present invention employs base members substantially trough-shaped in cross-section and possessing a large horizontal area whereby the load is distributed to the supporting medium. Either one or a plurality of intercon-l nected base members may be employed, as described more fully hereinafter. These members are preferably prepared by pressing, rolling or stamping intotrough-like form rolled sheets of'metal, which may be obtained commercially in practically `all thicknesses and sizes; or they may be built up from suitable units; The walls of the trough are preferably lformed with aslight flare, which facilitates the forming of the member and likewise permitsV of a variation in the effective area of the member. ADimensions such as thickness and size of plate, size and depth of trough, and amount of flare are determined for the particular conditions encountered and may be readily calculated by well known engineering formulae.

These members are buried in the earth at a depth determined by calculation to give the required weight of soil, and the legs yof the towers are attached thereto in any suitable manner. Preferably the members are stiffened by means such as cross-girders secured thereto. The number of members to be employed is likewise determined by calculation, and where a plurality is required, they are connected together by suitable means'such as cross-,girders so as to v,provide a unitary supporting structure, to which a tower leg or the like is attached.

For the purposes o f exempliiication, several forms of the inventionhave been illus-r trated. inthe accompanying drawings, but it is rto be expressly understood that the in.- ventionis not limited thereto and Ythat reference is to be had to the appended claims for adefinition ofthe limits of the invention.

In the drawingst 'Fig Vl is an elevation of one formof anchorage; Y

Fig. 2 is a plan viewof Figi; Fig. 3 is an elevation of an anchorage employing a plurality of base members;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a further arrangement kof the base members;

Fig. 6 is a perspective viewvof a single base member; t Y

i Figi 7 is an elevation of ananchorage employing a built-up form of base member;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of a still further form of base member; and

Fig. l1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the base section of a tower or the like, showing its anchorage in place. y

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts, Fig. l shows a simple form of anchorage employing a trough-shaped base member which is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 6. This member is here formed from a unitary sheet of metal of the required thickness, preferably by stamping, rollingor pressing the same so as to form a trough l having outwardly {iaring walls 2 which connect with flange-like faces 3. The base member is set in the ground at the required depth and may be stiffened whennecessary by means such as acrossgirder 4 secured to the faces 3 of the base member by any suitable means as by bolting. This base member serves as a support for. a tower leg 5 which may be attached thereto in any suitable manner. In the form shown, the tower leg is in the form of an angle iron which extends into the trough l vofthe base member. and is secured thereto by means of angle clips 6 which are suitably secured as by bolting to the base member, tower leg and cross-girder so as to formajunitary supporting structure. This form of anchorage is designed for use when the loads are comparatively small.

Where the loads to be supported are larger and require a greater supporting surface area, a plurality of base members may be employed, as illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5. The number, grouping and arrangement of these members depends in each case on the particular conditions encountered and is capable of considerable variation, onlyl two. formsA being shown for purposes of illustration.

In-Fig. 3, two trough-shaped members are placed parallel to oneanother in the position shown in Fig. 1', and are preferably connected togetherand at the same time strengthened ,by means of va pluralityfof cross-girders. 4. In the form shown, Vthe two center, crossgirders are connected together by a section of I-beani 7 to which the 'tower leg5 is secured anysuitable means. Wheredesired the tower leg may also be secured to the `base members themselves by suitable angle clips as illustrated in Fig. l. y I z i Fig. 5 shows a. slightly differentVv form of anchorage employing a plurality of troughshaped plates placed in. anginverted position. The ycross-gir'ders 4 in this case are connected to the` bottoms of the ,troughs l instead of to thefaces 3 asin the preceding illustration.: The tower leg'5 may be secured tothe assembly by means yof a section of IK-beam 7 disposed similarly to the, arrangement shown in Fig. 4. In this construction thehorizontal area covered by the trough plates or covered by the anchorage is the samel as in igs. 3 and 4, but the construction is lighter and less rigid and requires less material.

Figures 7 to 9 show an anchorage in which the trough sections are disposed in a continuousseries instead of the unitary elements shown in Figures 3 to 5. Invthis construction a plurality of parallel cross ties 8 are employed between which are inserted the metal trough-shapedsheets 9. When these sheets are designed to take a proportional part of the compressive load they are suitably secured to the cross tie members, as by bolting, but whendesigned to aid in resisting the uplift forces only, theyv are simply inserted between said members. The cross ties 8 are connectedat each end by means of angle irons 10 which also serve to retain the metal sheets 9 in place. As in the preceding examples, stiifening members or cross girders 4 are preferably employed and the tower leg is connected to the assembly in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4. In some instances the sheets 9 may be flat.

In Fig. 10, the construction is similar to that shown in Figs. A7 to 9 except that Z-bars 1l are employed in place of the cross ties 8. between which the metal sheets are inserted. Itwillbe `readily understood that this system is capable of expansion to any number of members which may be required to meet the load and soil conditions encountered. Thus, for given conditions, the surface area or footing required becomesxed and is determined by calculation, and this area may be made up by combining into one unit the necessary number of trough-shaped base members. The flexibility of the arrangement permits of obtaining the required supporting area. with the most economical distribution of material, resulting in considerable economy in the amount of material employed. Furthermore, owing to the simplicity of form of the trough-shaped members the dimensions of the same may be varied at will without changing the cost of labor, and the sheets of metal employed may be obtained commercially in practically all thicknesses and sizes at the same cost per pound. The design is moreover simple in construction and installation and the ease of manufacture and of variation of proportion permits of varying the design to meet any given set of conditions.

While several embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the drawings, it is to be expressly understood that the injvention is not limited to these embodiments, but is capable of wide variation in the number and arrangement of parts and in their relative dimensions and proportions, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Reference is therefore to be had to the ap-l pended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. Means for supporting a tower leg or the like, constituting a substantially troughlike metal member provided with a flange along each side thereof, means for stiffening said member including a plurality of girders attached to said flanges to prevent distortion, and means for attaching a tower leg or the like to said member and to said girders.

2. In means of the class described for supporting a tower leg or the like, a trough-like metal member opening toward the tower' to be supported and having flanges extending from the walls of said trough and means'for attaching a tower leg or the like to said flanges, said flanges and bottom of the trough resisting displacements of the tower and being connected by said walls to prevent spreading. l

3. A trough-shaped metal footing for tower legs and the like having substantially horizontal bottom and flange portions connected by upright side portions, and means for securing a tower leg or the like both to said flange portions and to said bottom portion.

4t. In means of the class described for supporting a tower leg or the like, a plurality of metal members opening toward the tower to be supported, each shaped substantially in tlie` form of atrougli" having; flanges at each side thereof, cross girdersjconnectedtoy said flanges to preveiitdistortion of saidmembers and unitingthesame to constitute a unitary supporting structure, and means for securiig a tower leg or the liketo said cross-gir'- ters. l Y 5. A `footing for a tower lor the like,"`including an anchorage member madeV of va plate provided with a trough-shaped depression, a kseries of beams extendingcrosswise of said anchorage `member and s aid troughshaped depression therein and secured'to the upper face of said'anchoragemember at opposite-sides of said depression, and means `connecting saidbeams to said structural; elements", f l

6. A footing `for a towerior thelike coniprising an -anchorage member ofplate mate` rial with reinforcing undulations formed therein,and al rigid foot connectinglelement engaging aplurality ofthe undulations of said member to kprevent flexure of said member `along theuiidulations.` 1 v 7. A footing for a tower., or thelike, including an anchorage structure having a plurality of trough-shaped depressions opening upwardly and provided with substantially flat surfaces at the upper edges of said depressions, and structural members connected with said tower or the like and to which said flat surfaces are secured.

8. In a footing for a tower or the like, the combination of an anchorage structure provided with a plurality of undulations extending lengthwise of said anchorage structure to resist bending of said base structure in the direction of the length of said undulations and which anchorage structure extends substantially throughout the area of saidfooting, frame members which extends transversely of said undulations and which are secured to portions of said anchorage structure between said undulations, and means secured to said frame members for attaching a part of a tower to said footing.

9. A footing for a tower or the like, including an anchorage structure formed with undulations for reenforcing said structure, the surface of said anchoragel structure available to resist displacement of said structure in the ground being substantially coextensive with the horizontal space occupied by said anchorage structure, and structural members cooperating with said anchorage structure and extending transversely of said undulations. Y

.10. A footing for a tower or the like, in-

cluding an anchorage structure made of plateV material provided with a plurality of troughshaped portions formed therein and extending in one direction, and structural members engaging said anchorage structure between said trough-shaped portions, and extending transversely of the ylength of the troughshaped portions' thereof. .y All., A footingrfor a tower orthe like, including an anchorage structure ma'de of plate materialprovided with a plurality of troughshaped depressions, a pair vof beams secured to lthe middle portion of said anchorage structure and extending transversely of the depressions therein, meansf for connecting said tower or the like to saidvbeams, and a structural member secured near each end of said anchorage structure and extending crosswise of said depressions.

12. A footing for a tower orthe like, including an anchorage structure having a pluralit oftrough-shaped portions, each including a base and upwardly extending side portionsrterminating in substantially horizontal VVflat portions, and structural members extending transversely of said trough'- shaped portions andarranged to exert downward pressure against said horizontal flat portions.'

In testimony whereof we have signed this ROBERT w. LUIPPOLD; WILLIAM T. sPARRow.

I specification. 

